


Etched in Our Hearts

by Starlithorizon



Series: Alchemy and Guitar Ties [12]
Category: Cabin Pressure
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Wedding, no seriously so much fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-02
Updated: 2013-03-02
Packaged: 2017-12-04 01:28:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,036
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/704914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlithorizon/pseuds/Starlithorizon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Big Day arrives, and it's as perfect as an MJN wedding can possibly be.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> You know the drill: un-beta'd, un-Brit-picked, quickly researched because I don't know how civil ceremonies work in England. To be fair, I don't really know how they work in America. Luckily, there's a little something called creative license, and without it, I'd be a goner.  
> Anyway, I was smiling like a goof as I wrote this, and my boys are married! Ugh, finally!  
> And as a quick last note, don't worry: there will be more Skipthur fluff. Some things are forever, and that's one of them.

Deep breath. Inhale, exhale. Let the excitement in, let the jitters out.

In only a matter of time, they would be married, and it was just as he'd always wished. Oh, as a boy, he'd expected that he'd be marrying a nice young woman. Maybe even a bit after that. But really, that was because he couldn't possibly imagine the complete, utter, pristine  _brilliance_ of this day before recently. It was everything. It filled him up and left him feeling so clear and alive.

Arthur gripped Martin's hand as they sat on the bench. The door opened, and their names were called.

It was time.

The four of them followed the fellow in the suit into his office, or whatever it was called when it belonged to a registrar. He was an older man, perhaps a few years older than Douglas, and looked very kind indeed. He smiled at the couple and their family as they walked in.

"Hello, Mr Crieff, Mr Shappey," he said, nodding to each in turn. It was difficult to keep from smiling like an idiot boy, but sometimes, one had to be allowed the luxury of looking like, well, an idiot. Arthur found it difficult to speak over the smile.

"Hello, sir," Skip said softly, smiling as well.  _Everyone_ was smiling, casting the room in sunlight. Although, in reality, that was probably just the sun pouring in through the windows.

"Before we get started, is there anything you would like to include? Music, perhaps? Any readings?"

"We have our own vows," Martin told the man. He bowed his head in assent.

"Wonderful. So, if you're ready to begin..."

Arthur looked up at the registrar and grinned so widely that he felt his face cracking. He could feel the light pouring out of him.

They stood together in front of the man, hands loosely clasped together. They recited the words that made this legal, and Mum and Douglas both looked a bit watery. Skip looked positively glowy. Arthur could only imagine how he looked.

The registrar asked them for their vows. Martin went first.

"Long ago, back when I was some shabby little man working for a shabby little airdot, I thought I knew all there was to know. I wasn't that good a pilot, but I knew everything. And I knew that MJN was different from anything I had ever known." Here, a shy smile at the other members, both looking quite close to tears. "I thought that you were just Arthur, the silly steward who made the best coffee around."

Arthur sniffled and felt himself go a bit watery as well. Martin went on.

"It took me a little while to realise that you were Arthur, the kindest and gentlest man I'd ever meet, and one of my closest friends. You looked up to me in a way I'd never expected, in a way I'd never felt I'd deserved. You looked at me and gave me your light. And then, a few years ago, I came to my senses and realised that you were the best person to have ever walked this earth, a soul barely contained, beautiful in your brilliance. I realised what matters now, most of all: that I love you. That I will  _always_ love you.

"Arthur, you are the sun, the moon, the very air I breathe. I vow to always love you, and to make sure you always know it. I vow to hold your hand when we watch scary movies, and to let you cook dinner when you like, and to fill our house with whatever bits of brilliance you'd like. Knowing you is like nothing else, and it's my everything. I will grow old with you, and we will continue this beautiful life we have, and we will be a family."

Oh, his vision was getting a little swimmy. Arthur quickly wiped at his eyes, brushing away the collecting moisture.

"Goodness, Skip," he laughed. Martin smiled fondly, and the registrar looked like he wanted to hug them both. He couldn't even begin to imagine looking at Mum or Douglas. Another deep, collecting breath.

"A few years ago, people used to look at me and my life and think that it was lacking. I was a grown man living with his mother, working with her on  _her_ aeroplane, serving tea and coffee and chicken. Except, of course, when we didn't offer chicken or the passengers didn't want chicken. Then I'd give them what they wanted. I still do that, of course, but then people saw me doing it and thought that it was a less-than life. Less than perfect, less than successful, less than brilliant. And then I met you, Skip, and suddenly, I didn't care. At all. Not in the least.

"See, I know I can be a bit much sometimes. Sometimes, when I'm really excited, I get to talking a lot, and everyone gets this funny look like they've got a headache. But not you, Skip. Never you. It took you a while to look like a sunflower turned toward me, catching the sun and my words, but you never looked like I was too much. You looked like I was filling up some empty corner of your heart with gold and Toblerone and everything good. Slowly, slowly, on and on the years went and I found that you were more than a friend, and maybe a bit more than family. That day in New York, I decided that I was tired of waiting for something good to happen to you, so I gave you all the goodness I had.

"Only, as time went on, I realised that that wasn't all the goodness I had. You kept replenishing it, and I kept giving it back, and we were linked together by brilliance. Now, we've got a life together, and today, we're getting married, and it's  _more_ than brilliant.  _You're_ more than brilliant, Martin, and I vow to remind you every day. I vow to never make Surprising Rice. I vow to talk about aeroplanes with you all the time. I vow to get wrinkly and grey with you. I vow to love you every second of every day, forever. And really, these aren't very hard promises to make. It's not because they're easy on their own, but because it's  _you_ , and you're worth everything."

There were sniffles now, from the other three members of the crew. The registrar was positively beaming now.

"Mrs Knapp-Shappey, Mr Richardson, if you'd be so kind."

The pair stepped up, prepared to give the men their rings.

"Mr Crieff, you first."

Arthur watched as Mum kissed Martin's cheek as she deposited the ring in his palm. Martin smiled, and it was wobbly and glowy in equal measure. He took Arthur's hand.

"I, Martin George Crieff, take you, Arnold Roy Shappey, to be my wedded husband."

The circle of metal slipping onto Arthur's finger, binding him. Beautiful.

Douglas stepped closer and grinned at Arthur as he gave him the ring.

"I, Arnold Roy Shappey, take you, Martin George Crieff, to be my wedded husband."

Thin band of gold on Martin's finger now. Blissful.

Mum and Douglas both sniffling. He could barely hear the registrar declare them wed, could barely hear the call to kiss. His body reacted instictively, leaning in and cupping Skip's (his husband's!) cheek and touching their lips together. A beat, and a kiss like water in the desert.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

They took separate cars. The newlyweds to one car, the witnesses to the other. It was just as well; the newlyweds took a short (but not  _too_  short) detour. When they arrived at Carolyn's house, Martin smiled at the signs leading them to the backyard. So, with Arthur's hand warm in his, they went.

A cheer erupted as they opened the gate. Everyone was there, and there were so many flowers, and  _so_ many balloons. Hannah, who was thirteen and much too cool for hugs, ran up to the couple and wrapped her arms around both of them.

Everyone said congratulations, and the word was as constant a sound as the birdsong. The very earth itself felt like it was celebrating, and it was gorgeous.

"Good on you for finding him," Karl said with a smile and a wink as he offered Martin a beer. Martin flushed and smiled.

"Oh, you two are so lovely together!" Martin's mother said as she embraced him. Martin ducked his head and grinned.

"I know it's a party and all, and it's great, but I can't wait to get home," Arthur whispered with a growl as they had their first dance. Martin squeaked and tucked his face into Arthur's shoulder.

There was food, put in front of them by a benevolent FO. There was champagne, provided by Simon. There was chocolate-and-coconut cake, made by Phil's sister, in fact. There was really quite a lot of dancing, and that was wonderful. The boys each had a dance with their mothers, then with each other's mothers, then with Hannah. Douglas showed off his moves to his daughter, though, which got her giggling in a way that all three of the men really, really loved.

And then, just as it was getting dark and all the lanterns and fairy lights strung around came on, people stood up to give speeches. Simon gave a slightly tipsy speech on Martin's childhood, which was more than a little embarrassing. Arthur held his hand and kissed his temple sweetly, though, smiling fondly. Caitlin took a slightly different tack from their brother by actually talking about how happy she was for the couple. This went on for a while before Carolyn and Douglas went up. Douglas first, of course.

"When I first heard that you two had  _finally_ gotten together, I was thrilled. You see, I rather like the both of you, and I like it quite a lot when people I like find happiness together. Call me a hopeless romantic, but it is what it is. Seeing the both of you, though, is like nothing else. You both have what I took three attempts in  _trying_ to find. You look like two people who were lost for years and finally found each other. I wish you both the absolute best of luck, and repayment in the form of a bottle of Talisker if you'd be so kind."

Everyone laughed at that, and it was beautiful. Arthur jumped up, still holding onto Martin, and glommed onto Douglas. Douglas returned the hug and proceeded to squish the captain in a hug of his very own.

Next up was Carolyn, and Martin had no idea what to expect.

"To be honest, when I first heard that the two of you had started dating, I was less than thrilled. I didn't want one of my pilots breaking my son's heart, and I didn't want my son to break Martin. I've spent a  _lot_ of time with Martin, and I've seen him go from a bit of a sadsack—sorry, but it's true, sit back down!—to someone quite truly happy. You get this face when you're flying, and the only time I see it on the ground is when you're with Arthur. And I've never seen Arthur look so sickeningly giddy for such a sustained period of time. I'm so proud to be able to call both of you my sons, and if that leaves this party, I promise you won't know what hit you."

There was a bit of nervous laughter at that, as no one was quite sure if she was joking or not. Best to treat that with the utmost seriousness.

She hugged them, and the party continued to flow right past them. They waited for a socially acceptable hour to leave, though everyone still smiled knowingly. Oh, sod it all, it was their wedding night, and so what if everyone knew?

They barely made it to the bedroom. Their suits would be in scattered pieces from the front door to the bed for the whole of the next day, and it was perfect. Arthur was forever and he was  _his_. Arthur belonged to him, he belonged to Arthur, and he was so excited to face the oncoming dawn.


End file.
